Feminist ClassicsĪlthough we’re heading into a new year, and indeed a new decade, many of the issues that we’re facing seem very familiar. Here’s a rundown of some of the best feminist books that I’ve come across whilst trying to work out what being a feminist is to me. While reading the best feminist books is certainly not the only way to get involved in feminism, it’s a great way to encounter and engage with some of these perspectives. Learning about feminism and trying to apply it to your life is a continuous process, with a multitude of perspectives to consider as you go. Sometimes it seems that there are as many different types of feminism as there are people who identify – or don’t – as feminists. Often there’s mention of makeup or high heels (can you be a feminist and like either? Depends on who you ask – my personal feeling is, yes, but never tell me they’re compulsory). Sometimes they’re much longer, for better or for worse. Sometimes the answers are pithy and snappy (for example, the one given by Su in Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist, one of the best feminist books, who states that feminists are “just women who don’t want to be treated like shit”). What makes a feminist? It’s a question that pops up whenever feminism is discussed.

Elizabeth barnes the minority body